A Man and a Mountain
by Wildhart
Summary: Jason has never heard of Tortall but finds him self waking up there to a wolf whaching over him and travling in the company of a shang warrior and a horse that hates him, and all he set out to do was climb a mountain in the peak district (thats in England
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: -

Disclaimer: every one except Cal, Jason and Taygo (though I pinched Tay from one of my other stories he is mine) and the world that is Tortall, all belong to the genius who is Tamora Pierce  Chapter 1: - 

A Man and a Mountain 

Jason lifted his heavy rucksack and looked up at the peek of the mountain before him. The grassy peek stood out boldly in the bright blue summer sky. Alone he was going to clime the peek, he was determined he could do it.

"So you are going," a kind voice behind him said

"Yes Mrs Lofton I am grateful for you kindness in letting me stay the night" 

He took her hand in gratitude and with a cheery wave he started his walk towards the mountain. 

As he walked he thought, this was not the highest mountain he had climbed but it was his.

It grew dark as he reached the base he smiled up at the peek silhouetted against the red sunset.

"'Red sky at night shepherd's Delight'" He quoted as he removed his pack and started to put up his tent. 

The next morning he started his walk up the slope. As he walked the path got steadily steeper and he had to help himself climb with his hands.

Suddenly the rock he was resting his foot on gave way and he fell tumbling down the slope. He felt a sharp pain on his head and then darkness.

He woke to find himself in a bed covered in a rough wool blanket. A Quick look under it he found he was wearing nothing apart from his underwear and had bandages on his legs and arms.

He groaned as a pain went through his head. Putting his hands to it he found it was also bandaged. He felt something touch his leg and he looked up to see a wolf resting a paw on his leg. When he looked at the wolf it gave a sharp bark, sniffed at the bandage on his head. Frozen in fear Jason could not move.

"So you are awake now" A voice came from the door 

Jason turned his head to face the voice and the pain came again. 

"Easy, easy" the voice said."Hear drink this" A steaming mug was handed to him 

Smelling herbs he wrinkled his nose in disgust 

The voice laughed "it smells bad I know but it will help with the pain"

Jason quickly drank it down and the pain started to fade. 

He turned to finally look as the person and saw a man about 5'10" with short dark blonde hair and strange amber eyes, he was only warring rough brown breaches And the skin of his muscled torso was lightly tanned.

"The names Cal" he said as he removed the bandage on Jason's head to examine the wound "you're healing well" he replaced the bandage and sat on a stool beside the bed. The wolf came up and rested its head on Cal's lap. Jason's eyes flicked down to look at the wolf and Cal smiled.

"This is Taygo" he indicated the wolf"and it was him who found you laid unconscious on the mountain, How in the gods name did get there wearing these strange clothes" he picked up Jason's bright red jacket

"My name is Jason I was climbing the mountain when I slipped and fell. But I must ask where am I?"

"In a small hut in the Grimhold Mountains on the border between Scanra and Tortall, Five days from the city of the gods. Why climb a mountain?"

Jason looked puzzled that morning he had started to climb a mountain in the peak district in England and now he was in a place he had never heard of before.

Cal saw the confusion on his face. "What's wrong?" he asked

"What's wrong is I am not in England where I started" he complained

"England? I am well travelled but I have never heard of England?" Cal looked as confused as he did.

"Well we can figure out what has happened to you in time. Will you stay hear until you are healed" Cal broke the silence 

Smiling he held out his hand and painfully Jason took it.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 1: -

Chapter two: -

The next day Jason felt well enough to get out of bed. He got dressed with clothes out of his pack that lent against the wall and went in to the next room and found that there were only two rooms to the hut and that his rescuer had slept on the floor in the second room. Which served as a kitchen, dinning room and living room in one.

He walked out of the hut to find Cal with an axe chopping firewood. He sat down on an upturned pail to watch.

"What do you do?" Cal asked as he picked up the logs he had chopped and added them to the large pile beside the hut

"How do you mean?" He asked

"What's your profession, your work?" He put a log on the chopping block and swung to axe hitting it dead centre the two halves fell either side of the block.

"I'm a Cartographer, Map maker"

"That explains why you were climbing the mountain, I think?" Cal smiled at him "how are you feeling today? He asked with some concern

"Better, thanks"

"We have to do some thing about your clothes though. I am sorry but you do stand out in them"

He was wearing red waterproof trousers and the jacket with a navy sweater with the slogan The Mad Mapers showing though his open jacket. 

Cal smiled and led him in to the hut leaning the axe against the door. He picked up the pack that had served him as a pillow and puled out a second pair of breeches and a tunic.

"You can have these" he handed the clothes to Jason "change and come and help me with the wood" he smiled at Jason and went outside again.

Jason changed putting his clothes in to his own pack. The clothes were worm and easy to move in. he stretched a couple of times enjoying the freedom of Cal's clothes. He went back out side and sat back down on his pail.

"You look much better" Cal smiled "Help me stack this wood"

Just as he stood up Taygo who had been laying in the shade of the hut, stood up and started to growl his fir rising on his neck as he looked toward the trees to one side of the hut.

Cal took one look at the growling wolf and rushed in to the hut. He came out again carrying a wooden staff and set his amber eyes to scanning the tree line. Nervous Jason also scanned the trees unsure of what to expect. 

A rider came galloping out of the trees wearing some kind of official livery Jason stared at the rider as he approached the hut gently slowing his horse.

Cal relaxed as the rider came out of the trees and lent on his staff waiting for the rider to approach. 

The rider stooped near to the men and looked from Cal standing leaning on his staff to Jason who had sat down on the pail again.

"Which of you is the Shang wolf?" he asked

"I am" Cal said and approached the rider "What's up?"

"A message from Sir Myles of Olau" the rider handed him a wax sealed document

"Myles?" Cal broke the seal and read the message. With a smile he crumpled the peace of paper and nodded to the messenger who turned his horse and left.

"If you are well enough tomorrow we head to Corus, Myles is a scholar and an old friend he may be more able to help you than I am. Agreed?" Cal asked Jason

"Agreed" Jason replied a bit confused

  



	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 1: -

Chapter 3: -

They had set of that next day, Cal on his large bay which had a star and two white socks Called Drifter, Jason rode on a smaller dark bay with a broad white blaze and four white stockings Called Bear, which Cal had used as a packhorse. 

Jason had never sat on a horse before and apart from giving the local pony a peace of carrot over the fence, he had never been near a horse. Now he was in the middle of nowhere on a horse that delighted in fining the muddiest puddles and made shore he fell off in to them.

Jason picked himself up from his seventh fall that day. This time a low branch had aided the packhorse. He looked up at Cal who hid a grin.

"I told you I can't ride" Jason complained looking at his muddy hands then at his muddy clothing.

He walked up to the horse that had stopped to graze and lifted its head grabbing the bridle he looked straight at the horse

"Now listen to me buster I will ride you if you like it or not"

The horse's head went down then straight up hitting him directly on his nose. Cal heard the familiar crack of a broken nose and bust out laughing while Bear stared innocently at the man dancing before him. 

The flow of blood finally stopped and Jason was mounted again when they continued their journey 

"What was it that messenger called you yesterday?" Jason asked the still grinning Cal "something Wolf?"

"Shang wolf" 

"What dose it mean"

"You mean you haven't herd of the Shang" Cal sounded shocked

"No, AHHHH!" Bear took that moment to rear and dump Jason in another muddy puddle.

This time Cal burst out laughing straight off.

"Just be thankful the ground is soft," Cal said once he had his laughter under control.

"So what's Shang" Jason was mounted again, glaring hatefully at Bear's ears.

"Shang are a group of warriors, taught to fight from childhood"

"And the wolf bit?" 

"Wolf is just my rank" Cal looked up at the slowly darkening sky "we best make camp and you need a bath" Cal grinned and Jason gave a small smile.

After washing in the nearby stream, Jason, under Cal's directions helped make camp with the supplies they had carried divided between them selves. While they were working Taygo, who had followed them at his own pace, entered the camp depositing two rabbits at Cal's feet. Cal was busy getting a fire started and didn't notice the wolf. Taygo whined and pawed Cal's leg looking down cal smiled and scratched him behind the ears. He then turned back to the fire and raised his flint and steel.

Just as he struck one on the other the firewood exploded in to black flames. Cal leaped back starring into the flames as they gradually tuned orange. 

Jason Looked past Cal, who was now alert and ready to fight, and saw a very tall man, dressed in black, and a young woman holding a Long Bow. A trio of horses followed them.

  



	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 1: -

Chapter 4: -

"Taygo!" Cal called the wolf to his side his eyes on the Strangers "Taygo?" 

The wolf walked up to the girl, tale waging and whining like a puppy. The girl laughed at the wolf and turned to look at Cal.

Jason had hidden behind Bear and at that moment yelled as Bear stood on his foot.

The two strangers looked at him, Cal's eyes never left the strangers but he smiled guessing at what had happened.

"I am cal, the Shang wolf. This is my companion Jason" Cal introduced themselves to the strangers "Now which of you is the mage?" he demanded

"We both are but I was the one who lit your fire, if I had known you were shang I would not have lit it" the tall man bowed to cal

"You are forgiven sir mage," Cal said with a friendly grin " I don't have the distrust of your kind as some of my kind do"

"I am Numair Salmalin and my companion here is Veralidaine Sarrasri" the woman laughed as Taygo jumped up to lick her face

"You can call me Daine" Cal smiled at her and relaxed pulling Taygo to his side by his collar

"Taygo why don't you find some more food now we have guests" he released the wolf who ran in to the trees "Jason come away from Bear before he brakes another bone"

"Your horse has a broken bone?" Daine asked shocked

"No gentle lady Bear is braking Jason's bones" Cal said struggling to keep a strait face 

Both Daine and Numair eyed newly broken nose and he blushed deeply be for siting down by the fire

"So what are the two heroes of the immortals war doing here?" cal asked Daine and Numair as they sat by the fire.

"Running errands for the king and battling the odd monster her and there" Numair told cal smiling 

"We are lucky not to have met anything on the road yet but if you may can we talk alone" he stood and walked away indicating to Numair to follow him. "I Have a small problem you may be able to help me with" He smiled at Jason as they walked away leaving him and Daine together. 

Jason watched as the two men left leaving him in the company of the young woman. He watched as she got up and smiled at him, walked over to bear and with the corner of her tunic soaked in water from a flask. She washed the small amount of Jason's Blood that had dried on his white nose. He noticed the far away look on her face Just before his field of vision was blocked by Taygo's head, in his mouth was a large Grey rabbit. Nervously Jason stoked his head 

"G…Good Wolf" He was still unsure of having a wolf so close

With a yap Taygo dropped the rabbit and went over to Daine and Wound himself round her legs. She laughed and went back to the fire to sit beside Jason with Taygo laid between them.

"Bear says you can't ride" Daine giggled again

"Uh? Bear said?" Jason looked puzzled

"Oh its ok I have wild magic" she explained

"Magic?" Jason still looked puzzled, where was he that fires stated instantly and people believed in magic

"Ok" she hid a smile "lets say I can under stand him" 

"Ok" Jason said but still looked puzzled

"He says that you should try to stay on his back even if you can't ride, oh and the broken nose was an accident"

"Yeah I think it was" Jason looked evilly at Bear who was trying his best to look innocent

Daine took charge of the rabbit as they waited for the return of Cal and Numair.

  


  



End file.
